


Bitch, please

by Valdyr



Series: The Angel Within [13]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Episode: s05e17 99 Problems, F/M, Feels, M/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-17 23:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11279430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valdyr/pseuds/Valdyr
Summary: When Samifer reappears, Ellen and Bobby react very differently, but dealing with the impossible and carrying on is what hunters do. There are still more monsters and one masquerades as a prophet.





	Bitch, please

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for answering the survey! It's over and done with now and while she didn't tell us our grade, our lecturer looked quite impressed.
> 
> Concerning the story: They never said what the whore was, so bear with me. I had to fill in the blanks. But I rather like the outcome, so I won't complain. Enjoy!

"What have you done?"

He sought her eyes, but no answer came.

"Ellen, what the hell have you done?!"

"What I had to do! To stop the apocalypse! To save us all, Bobby."

"All?! All mean Sam as well! And you murdered him! Ellen, how could you?! That was SAM!"

"No, it wasn't. It was Lucifer! Evil!"

"He was in there, too."

"I know you want to believe that, Bobby. I remember the feeling. But that was not Sam. And if it was, that's worse. He let Satan into his body! He was either a lost cause, a puppet to the devil, or he knew what he was doing and deserved it. Either way, it was for the best."

"I can't believe this."

His voice was so faint it was hardly there at all. He knew where Ellen was coming from of course. He knew she had acted out of fear. Panicked. Irrational. He could guess that she had thought of demons and hellhounds and her daughter dying. Hell, he had killed his wife. But that was only because he hadn't known. He hadn't been a hunter then, had had no idea how to save her. Now, though, they knew. They could have saved Sam. They should have saved him.

He couldn't have told how much time passed as he lost himself in his head, but he was yanked out of it with a start when there was a crash coming from the house above them. They shared a scared look and ran out of the panic room, weapons in hand. They didn't get far, though. Just a few steps.

"Sam?"

He barely believed his eyes. Shaking like a leaf and roughed up like he had just stumbled out of a bar brawl, but indeed there was Sam at the bottom of the stairs. Or not. His eyes pulsed crimson and, now Bobby saw, he wasn't trembling in weakness. He was shivering with rage, seconds from exploding. The devil was not dead. But he was furious. Now, Bobby expected, they would most certainly die. Probably very painfully. He thought they might deserve it, too.

But when the devil looked up, his pulsing eyes showed not anger. And when he spoke, it was surely not Satan, but Sam who found the words.

"Bobby? Please, Bobby, go back. Please go back inside and close the door. Barricade it, please. I don't want to do this. But... I said he always asked, remember? I think you pushed him past that. Hide, Bobby, take cover now before his wrath breaks free!"

He didn't hesitate. Sam was begging him. He was still fighting for him. Even after what they had done. He shoved Ellen back and wrenched the door shut behind them. Not three seconds later there was a roar behind the door and it shook in its hinges while sounds of breaking and shattering and tearing and just plain destruction filtered through. The devil howled in his fury and his angelic screeches forced them to their knees with bleeding ears.

Time was a funny thing. It seemed to slow with the drawn out cries and then it rushed with the jerking whooshs of hurtling limbs and debris. The door shook again and again, it gathered dents and even glowed for a while, the metal so hot it felt like the entire panic room had turned into an oven. And all the while, they could only huddle in fear, heat and utter darkness.

Darkness, because there was no electricity anymore and debris covered the hole in the roof completely. Some had fallen in, but they were pressed against the far wall, so no-one was hurt. The white hot glow of the door had been their only light source in quite some time. But now all was dark again. And now it was also silent.

They waited for what felt like an hour more after that. But eventually they approached the door. Bobby first, Jo last. He tried to open it, half expecting it to be shut forever from the melting and cooling of the metal on its other side. But it opened with ease. And it wasn't hard to see why. The metal cracked like glass. It had not only been heated to extremes. Right now, the other side was extremely cold. It felt like winter in Siberia.

And it looked worse. They barely managed to climb to ground level again. The house... it was gone. The devil had leveled it. Nothing was left that stood higher than to their knees and the fragments of walls, ceiling, roof, doors and furniture were scattered across the expanse of several football fields.

But it was not far from them that Sam sat on the wreckage. Cross-legged and silent. Patient as he waited for them. He was under control again. But his tone was stiff and tight and cold as he spoke without looking:

"I understand that you did what you thought was right. But that does not excuse your action. They say the way to hell is paved with good intentions. That is not literaly true. The metaphor, though... that fits. He wanted to make you watch your daughter being tortured to a slow and agonizing death for this. To teach you what it felt like. Because he cares about me no less than you care about her and you are a hypocrite if you pretend you wouldn't do the same if you were robbed of her."

He let that sink in and her gulp was audible for all as the humans' thoughts raced around all the possibilities of what Lucifer would do now. Their last hopes were based on the fact that it sounded like Sam was in charge of his body, but then it also sounded like he was not exactly disinclined to just let the devil do what he wanted right then.

And why should he? They had betrayed him. They were like family and they had... Bobby shook the thought away. It hurt to think about. He resigned himself to just receive what the angel decided they deserved. He understood. But Sam would always be Sam. He couldn't hurt his family.

"Go. Just go."

"Sam?"

"I know _you_ tried to stop it, Bobby. But Ellen, I can't look at you. Not without thinking about the moment you threw the holy oil. Not without thinking about the pain. His scream, Ellen. It hurt so bad and so suddenly I blacked out. But he... The last thing I heard before I fainted from the agony and the first thing I heard when I woke was my other half screaming. From the holy fire and the memories that the pain brought forth. You can't grasp what he's been through. It's humanly impossible. I can't face you again."

He turned his head sideways, still staring at the ground, but letting them see the wetness of his cold and sad eyes that had a hue of hatred over them.

"Take Jo and go and never contact us again directly or through others. I can't be confronted with you again. ...I just don't have the heart to hinder his vengeance anymore."

 

It was no bluff. That was painfully obvious. Sam was in control, but he would let the devil at her. Bobby turned around to her just in time to stop her from speaking. To protest or beg, it didn't matter. Her voice was most certainly a trigger. So he mouthed at her to scurry off. Her face asked wordlessly if he wouldn't come with, but he shook his head. He pulled her into one last short hug and kissed her cheek for an excuse to whisper:

"I can't leave Sam like this. But you must go. And Ellen, never tell another soul what happened here, what we found out. If you sic hunters on him, or hell if you tell Dean, Satan's gonna find you. You and Jo both, Ellen. And if you really go after him again after this, I won't even try to stop him. Stay away and enjoy a quiet life away with your daughter."

That hit its mark and soon enough the women were gone. Still the atmosphere remained tense. It was uncomfortable. But Bobby was done tiptoeing around. He flopped down right beside Sam, almost nudging the body he shared with the devil. And when the angel looked at him in slight confusion, meeting his eyes for the first time since he had stood in a circle of heavenly fire, the dam just broke:

"Sam, I am so sorry there are no words for it. And I am so so grateful that y-you-"

His voice broke and his breath was heavy as the thoughts lumped in his throat. The weight of the situation... He couldn't think about the other outcomes, couldn't imagine what he might have done.

"I know you care about her. But it hurts that you honestly think I would have just-"

"Oh shut up, ya igjit! I'm not talking about Ellen, I am talking about you!!! You can't fathom how grateful I am you survived that! That you- ...that you're still alive. You don't know what it felt like when you were just-just gone! If you hadn't reappeared... I would never have been able to forgive myself for the part I played in that. I was so scared I had lost you! I... ah fuck it!"

He was so startled he didn't even think to react when he was suddenly grabbed and hauled into the tightest hug of his life. Not the gesture between Ellen and Bobby. Not a greeting or goodnye. No, this was an honest to god I'll-never-let-go-of-you kind of hug. It overwhelmed him just bit. Like completely.

"Bobby? I-I don't unders-"

"You don't? Sam, I like Ellen. A lot. But you- you're a son to me. You and Dean, you are MY boys. Now quit talking, idjit, before I burst into tears like a little girl!"

For half a second, Lucifer wondered why straight American human males could not admit to their feelings without insults to maintain their manliness. But then his attempt to distance himself failed. He couldn't look at this and evaluate the situation like an outsider. He was already swept up in Sam's emotions. They hit too close to home. This was a father, even if not by blood, who loved his son and accepted him and would never give up on him. This was the father they both had wanted. If only their own fathers could have been like this...

"W-why did you trap me?"

"I was scared shitless that some monster had fooled me and you needed rescuing. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm alright."

And he meant it. He usually said that as a phrase. But right now it was actually true. He felt wonderful, recently burned and sitting in the ruins of Bobby's house he still felt wonderful. With that, however, he became aware of his surroundings once more.

"Shit. I'm- Sorry for the house. The books!"

"Ah, nevermind. I keep photocopies. And, well... I guess I had it coming."

"No, I-"

"Sam, we made the devil mad. I'm pretty sure breathing is a rare privilege after that. The house was a small price to pay."

"But where will you go now?"

"What d'ya think of me, idjit? I know dozens of hunters with safehouses I can crash in."

"Sure. Of course, sorry."

The shifted apart in the following silence that turned slightly awkward as Sam felt Bobby wanting to ask something and not daring to.

"What?"

"Nah, I just... I thought about... It's stupid."

"You want to talk to both of us, separately."

Bobby looked caught and guilty and Sam realized that Bobby feared he would interpret the question as distrust. But he understood. He had met ghouls and shapeshifters imitating family and friends and demons possessing them too often not to understand the nagging worry that Bobby was still feeling. But what could he do? They couldn't separate anymore.

Then he felt Lucifer taking over:

"We can't part, but I can arrange the next best thing."

Doubt edged onto Bobby's face at that. But worry about the next best thing or ...?

"Lucifer?"

Sam's face smiled.

"Yes. I didn't want to intrude on your moment, but I might be able to help."

"Damn, you really got some smooth transitions."

"Of course, we are one. Will you take my offer?"

"...What does it entail?"

"We can meet you as two on the mental plane."

"Mental plane?!"

"In your dreams, Bobby Singer. Allow me to put you to sleep and enter your mind. I can take Sam with me. It wouldn't be the first time."

"...You enter people's minds a lot?"

"Only when another angel visited Dean in his head to lure the brothers into a trap. We had to check who it was and what they wanted. And we had to divert her plan once we knew."

"Her?"

"Anna. We tried to reason with her, but she was determined to destroy Sam for God. I had to kill her."

"Sorry. Or not, depending. ...So I can meet you both in my head?"

"Yes."

"But I have to sleep for that?"

"Yes. You should only agree if you already trust us in your heart."

Bobby waited for a moment, but before long he took a deep breath and laid back, as comfortably as possible in the ruins of his home.

"Alright. Hit me."

They chuckled and Lucifer tipped Bobby's head.

Instantly he was in a different place. It was a crappy motel room and Sam sat on the bed. The dream was utterly realistic, even though he knew it wasn't real. Still he tried to be practical and faced Sam as he rose with a soft smile. His features, though, were a bit off.

And then he saw why. Sam stepped apart. One still looked like him, the other was a whole new man. A blond with piercing blue eyes. He was a bit shorter than Sam, but he certainly filled the room with his presence. His clothes were nice enough, gray jeans and a light blue button-down shirt that went with his eyes. But those, his eyes, and the way he held himself said warrior.

He wasn't aggressive. He didn't even appear to have his guard up. But the kind of dominance he displayed still held of promise of dire consequences if he was affronted. It gave him something regal and dangerous. But still reasonable. Worthy of respect. Bobby greeted him with a nod that might have been a bit long and leaned vaguely in the direction of bowing his head, but the devil responded it kind.

He held Bobby in high esteem for his unexpected show of fatherly love. And Sam was just plain happy. They could both see it as the youngest of the group almost bounced on his feet. And both smiled at that. Sam was a common interest for them. Someone they both deeply cared about and would protect at all costs. But they also understood now that they did not have to protect him from each other.

"So... you're the devil."

"That's one way to refer to me."

"Gotta say, I pictured you differently."

"And you were right to. My true face is quite different from this, but it would blind you to behold. This appearance is merely an imitation of the first vessel I took after I was free from the cage. My stepping stone up to Sam."

"You took ...someone?"

"I had his consent. Obviously. I'm an angel, I could not have entered without."

"W-why did he let you in? Sam has experience with the supernatural and with things not being what they seem, the angels of heaven being the bad guys and all, but that vessel? Was he a hunter?"

"No, a civilian. But he had already lost everything he cared about in life. Humans, not possessed or bewitched, just plain humans had come into his home one day and murdered his beloved wife in their marriage bed, before killing their baby in its crib. It never even had its first birthday. That made it quite easy to convince him that God deserved to be punished for his cruelty, be it on purpose or by negligence."

"His... why would humans do such a thing?"

"According to his memories the police identified the wife's ex boyfriend and his pals as the culprits. It was jealousy with a strong side of intoxication. Probably. There was no useful evidence and no-one was convicted."

"Poor family. The poor man..."

"Not necessarily. He is with her now."

"He...?"

"They are soulmates. I felt it when he let me in. They are reunited in heaven now."

"Heaven? Even... I mean no offense, but... The guy says yes to the devil, against God, and he goes to heaven?"

"Funny, right? But that's the oldest rule: He who giveth himself to heaven in life shall be received by heaven in death. In other words: Say yes to angel and you're automatically granted absolution for any and all sins of your previous life. To be fair, though, hosting an angel tends to be a horrible experience and sending someone who's gone through that for you to hell on top of it would be kind of a dick move. Even by heaven's standards."

That actually made sense. And so they talked. About how they had come together and what it was like. The things they had done. Their reasons and ideas. It was nice, the three of them sitting together and telling stories. There was just that persistent worry bugging Sam... But Bobby noticed. And he had made up his mind:

"You gotta tell Dean some day. But it will be you, not me. And I won't press you for it. Take your time. Start slow. Step by step. At least that's what I'd suggest. But you don't have to. Not because of me. I know right now he'd go ballistic if he heard. I won't tell him, Sam. And if he asks, the house saw one too many angels asking where the two of you were. You were never here and I know of no angel in you."

He would lie for Sam. He would protect him. But to avoid trouble with Dean, he should also go back to him soon, before he was missed. And he left knowing that his father figure had his back. He left happy.

 

Happiness, however, was a pretty fickle thing. And so was relief. For he had been relieved when things went smoothly with Dean. Relatively speaking, meaning that he could excuse his absence in the morning by saying he'd had a nightmare and not been able to find rest after, which had led to a lengthy walk in the fresh air. Dean stopped asking the moment he heard 'nightmare', they went back to hunting and... well, that was it then.

'Damn it, Luci, why are demons chasing us? They were supposed to leave us alone!'

'I am perfectly aware of that, Sam. But for all the influence my dear deputy Meg is gaining over ever more demons, she is still not the only commander out there. There is still one more horseman, Crowley could have followers and there might still be more than those.'

He cursed under his breath and clung to the impala as tightly as he could while Dean auditioned for an action flick as stunt driver, by the feel of it. He knew of course that those were too many demons for two hunters to fight, but getting seasick in Baby was not an option, either. Not unless he wanted Dean to murder him.

In the end he was almost grateful when they met a burning barricade. It gave his churning stomach a moment of much needed rest. And then they even got help! A freaking firetruck appeared out of the dark of the night and showered the demons with holy water.

'That's efficient.'

'Yeah, wow.'

They stared in something not unlike awe and then the crew of the firetruck called out sounds like Enochian through a loudspeaker and the demons were excorcised.

'Wow, now that was impressive!'

Except this time, Lucifer did not agree. In fact, he emitted unease.

'Luci? Is something wrong?'

'Yes, very much so. That ....excorcism...'

'Yeah, it was Enochian, right?'

'That it was, but... it was no excorcism.'

'What?'

'It was no order to leave, just a statement. A pitiful little joke, an insult at best, but no excorcism. Those demons left willingly.'

'So... what does that mean?'

'Well, I'd say this was staged. I just don't know by and for whom, because those people are simple humans.'

'Humans who know about demons and at least heard of Enochian, though.'

'True, we should check them out. See if they're privy or fooled.'

He nodded and supported Dean in convincing them that they were hunters and had been fighting demons since before the apocalypse. So the militia took them back to its headquarters in the next town's church, where the hunters met the local priest and apparently highest commander.

They tried to question him, but he was reluctant. Right up until his daughter showed up and declared them safe, even though Sam was sure that she had frowned at him for a second.

'Luci?'

'Culprit found.'

'The girl?'

'Yep. She has no human soul. And the frown was probably due to her failed attempt to read your mind.'

'She tried to read my mind?'

'She did, but no-one gets into your head while I am here.'

'Does she know about you now?'

'Na.. I think she attributed it to the demon blood. If she really is behind these demon attacks, she would have reacted differently, had she seen me. We're still okay.'

'Good. But what is she?'

'Not sure yet...'

Then she told them that angels spoke to her, which Lucifer highly doubted, and after she mentioned her visions, Dean figured that she was a prophet.

'Ah, sure.'

'You know what she is? And I'm guessing it's not a prophet.'

'All true, Sammy. And she is the Whore.'

'Sorry, what?'

'The Whore of Babylon.'

'That sounds important.'

'She is... and she is quite a problem, too.'

'Why? Can't you just incinerate her when we are alone?'

'That is exactly the nature of our problem. I can't. I am literally incapable of killing her.'

'What?! Why? You can kill basically anything!'

'Not horsemen, not her. She is not just a token of a kind. She is the only one, because in the end she is just a manifestation of something abstract. And errant faith is a big and old and powerful something. She is almost deception incarnate.'

'Crap. ...I didn't see a ring.'

'Well, she's not exactly a horseman. There are rules about how she can be destroyed.'

'Good. But... why can't you kill her?'

'Because, while I can acquire the weapon needed, a stake from a Babylonian Cypress tree, I can't be the one to wield it. It's... The rule says that only a true servant of heaven can kill her.'

'A... a true servent of heaven?'

'Yes. And rebelling deprived me of that status.'

'Shit. S-so what now?'

'I guess we will have to convince the priest to kill his daughter.'

'... ... Great.'

 

They knew of course that it wasn't really his daughter, but he would probably not be easy to convince of that. Especially since they first had to get him alone. Inbetween killing demons, listening to Dean rant about angels sending humans to do their dirty work and getting praised for having noticed the demon under the car just in time to save the boy - Luci had sensed him, but they said that Sam had heard something - they awaited their opportunity.

And when they found one, they pounced on it. The plan was quite simple really. They sent him to sleep and carried him away to a safe place so they wouldn't be disturbed. Then they entered his mind, just not quite like Bobby's:

Father Gideon had no idea where he was. One moment he was in his church, now he lay in the middle of a meadow. He sat up, looking around and finally stood. There was just meadow. Grassy hills to all sides, as far as the eye could see.

"Where am I?"

"With me."

He whirled around in a fright and almost fell to his knees at what he saw. It was the younger of the hunters that had recently joined them, except... He was dressed in flowing white robes that billowed lightly in the soft wind, like his long brown hair. And like the long remiges of his massive white wings. He had wings. H-he had wings!

"Am I in heaven?"

"Not yet. You live. I just needed to talk to you."

"...You're an angel."

"I am."

"B-But I thought you were... weren't you a hunter? The other's brother?"

"That is what he believes. He must, unfortunately. Dean is very important, but he is no believer. He would reject me, if he knew. Still I must stay with him as I am his guardian angel."

Sam felt Lucifer cringe as he spoke, but the priest believed them and that was the whole point of the artificial dream.

"I am truly honored. But might I ask, as honored as I feel, why you chose to tell me?"

"I need your help. My charge is threatened, but if I defend him, I might be revealed, and then I would lose him and he would die or be captured by demons. I cannot take that risk. ...Will you help me?"

"Of course, what can I do?"

The priest, a true believer, was eager in his devotion to heaven and his adoration of the angel he saw. Even though the image was constructed by the devil to look like he would expect. Hence the two white wings instead of the real angel's six reddened ones. He hadn't wanted to waste time explaining and changed their appearance instead. After all, this was the mental plane. And things were going well so far, but now came the real hardship. The priest's beliefs would be sorely tested by this request. But they had to try.

"You must vanquish an evil in your own rows. I am sorry, truly sorry, Father Gideon, but the Whore of Babylon is orchestrating these attacks to slowly but surely drive your people into fanatism. She has already begun to isolate them and nurse their fear and despair. It will not be much longer until she starts to urge them to sin in the name of God. And then she will condemn as many as she can to hell."

The priest was visibly shocked, but it hadn't quite sunken in yet as he gasped "The Whore of Babylon", before it translated in his mind. "The False Pro-"

And there it hit home. He paled and staggered back.

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"No! Leah is a good girl, she is-"

"Dead, father. She has been dead for a while. The Whore killed her and took her place to be able to take control of the entire community."

The priest shook his head. He saw an angel before him, but he couldn't believe that. Sure, she had changed a lot. But they all had, under the circumstances. He couldn't believe that.

"I know it's hard. But if it is any consolation, your daughter is safe, in heaven, where none of this can hurt her."

"I-I don't believe it. I am sorry, but I just can't."

"I understand. And I don't expect blind faith from you. How could I do that, while I warn you about the False Prophet? I understand. And I can prove the truth to you."

Now the priest's eyes found his again. He was still in denial, but listening.

"Isolate her and I will force her to show her true face. A human wouldn't be affected. But the Whore will show herself."

"O-okay."

"But when she shows, you must end her. I will provide all you need."

He didn't speak, but gulped with difficulty and eventually he nodded. His beliefs contradicted each other, so whatever happened next would depend on the proof. The angel smiled and a moment later he woke in his bed. Maybe it had been a dream? Except he still had a marriage certificate in his hand. Like when he had been sorting them before his trip to the mystery meadow, in a completely different place. Dream or not, that had really happened.

His limbs were heavy with concern as he lifted himself and put the paper where it belonged, then he went looking for Leah. Or at least the creature looking like her. He didn't know. But he would. When he found the possibly false prophet, she was just talking to Dean Winchester. He overheard the last bit about Dean being the Vessel of Heaven. Well, that certainly matched the words of the guardian angel. Important, but reluctant.

Just as he thought that, they both looked up and Dean left. He seemed miserable and it worried Father Gideon. If she was indeed the False Prophet, what might she have just told the vessel? What might she have set in motion? But he shook the thought off. Part of him still hoped that she was just his girl.

He invited her to take a walk with him asked her about the angels. Her answers did not calm him down. His Leah had always been a good girl, but still down to earth. He really didn't like her comments about sinners. But he would soon know for sure. He led her away from the people and when she frowned at him, he prayed for the angel he had seen to come to him.

When her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as saucers, he knew that she had read his mind. But before either could make another move, there was a rustling like feathers and the angel appeared behind her. She didn't even turn to face him. She knew what was coming for her. So she screamed in rage and lunged at the priest to snap his neck in revenge, but an arm around her throat yanked her back and pinned her against the angel's chest.

The other arm tossed a stake over to him and he caught it on instinct alone. He hadn't quite processed the whole thing yet. It was the Whore. Leah was... dead and replaced. It was true. It was all true. That horror story the angel had told him, it was true.

"Priest! Look!"

He looked up from his chaotic thoughts and saw the angel press a palm to her head. In response, her eyes lit up, literally, and her face morphed. It was horrid, a monster, the Whore. And she screamed as his power flowed through her, but lived.

"Now!"

He jerked out of his shock and came at her. But that also gave her a clue and her blind fury subsided as she hissed:

"The human? You sic a human me? Why? Why not do it yourself? Oh by god, are you fallen?"

Her laughter was shrill and chilled the priest to the bone. But her words more so.

"You can't kill me, can you? Why, don't you serve heaven anymore?"

Gideon was frozen on the spot. He held the stake, aloft and ready to strike, but didn't move. The angel was....? That she was not his daughter was true, but... had he been entirely honest? He silently prayed to God for guidance. Because it really didn't sound like that anymore. The angel didn't deny it. Not even when the Whore smirked:

"Aw, someone rebelled! Good boy! Didn't wanna be God's little bitch anymore, did you?"

But the angel also didn't back down. He was not scared off, he was haughty:

"Oh, puh-lease! I can be bitchy, but mostly I am regal, being the King of Hell and the Prince of Darkness and all."

The Whore's face fell and the so did the priest's. But the devil felt souls nearing, probably having heard the noise, so he made it quick. The priest's conviction was lost, but he could still be of service. Just like this. After all, he was still the one wielding the weapon. So Lucifer leapt, the Whore still pinned before his chest, as he threw himself at the priest.

They toppled over into one big heap and Sam cried out when the tip of the stake wedged itself between his ribs, but already Lucifer had let go of his hold over her and pushed off, coming to rest beside her. The wound healed at once and he tipped his fingers to the head of the priest beneath her. The fall had momentarily knocked him out. Perfect. The devil adjusted his memories to erase the unfortunate revelation and then made to wake him up.

But that was unnecessary. The Whore of Babylon screamed as she burned around the stake and woke him up with that. He shoved her off in shock and Sam pulled him further away to save him from the flames. Like this he looked innocent when the nearing souls came into view and eventually reached them, gasping at the smoking body.

He left the explanation to the priest. And while devastated, the people listened to him. All of them. Just not Dean. Dean looked terrible, but Sam still went with him without complaint when the older pulled him aside and out of their hearing range.

"How the fuck did you know the prophet was fake?!"

Yeah, shit. He was briefly glad that Dean didn't know enough about botany to ask where he had found a cypress tree and tried to appear nonchalant as he explained that he had been doubtful about the whole angels sending humans to deal with demons for them crap and read up on other possible explanations in the Book of Revelations, where he had come across the False Prophet.

It wasn't good, he knew that. But it was the best he could come up with right then and there. And it seemed to be enough for Dean. He didn't notice how the explanation backfired.

Dean accepted that as truth. But that was the problem. It darkened his thoughts to consider the implications of those words. His brother had been suspicious and correct in that. But he had dealt with it with the local priest rather than Dean. His own brother didn't rely on him anymore.

He is a wreck, useless in his hopelessness. Just like Leah had put it: The Vessel of Heaven just sitting back and letting it all happen.

He held the key to heaven's greatest weapon and left it locked away while the demons ran wild. Of course Leah had only tried to get him to say yes to get the apocalypse going for her master, he understood now. But did that lessen the truth of her words? Sam kept fighting this futile battle with all his wits and strength. Maybe to stop himself from saying yes. But him?

He had nothing to offer as a hunter. He made no difference. He saw it in all their recent hunts. He was helping no-one. No matter what he tried. That was not his way. And still he used it as an excuse to block heaven's greatest, if not only hope. He didn't want the apocalypse. But in the end, it was already come. He could not lie to himself any longer.

It was time to accept that the best thing he could do for everyone involved was to man up and accept his duty. Let Michael save as many as he could.

**Author's Note:**

> Tension's rising everybody! Hope you liked it and are set for an alternate Point of no Return. I think I'll call it 'Some Angels fall, some plummet'. You know, in honor of Zachariah's demise. ;)


End file.
